Stone Guardian (9 page)

Ember caressed his cheek. “Well, hello there sexy. Bet you thought I wouldn’t find you.”

He stared out and she got the impression he was looking beyond her.

“So, umm, thanks for locking me in the basement. You are so lucky my hunger is overriding my need to break something. So, where did you hide my stuff?” She leaned over to see along his sides and behind him. Silver glinted. She leaned back and laughed. “Dude, you have a tail! That’s cute.” Ember tilted around him. Thorns bit into her arms as she groped the ground around his ass, snagging a strap and yanking it free. Dropping it, she reached for the other shoe, crying out in triumph when her digits grazed the heel. They slid off the smooth sole and she stretched to recapture the footwear, dragging it through the mulch. “Ha!”

She leaned back on her haunches and stared at Timur. “Babe, you got buns of stone—get it—stone… Never mind,” Ember giggled at her joke before continuing. “I’m not even going to try and figure out where the hell you put my gun. On a side note, though, being that you’re a tad indisposed I’m going to go ahead and catch a flight to Salem. I’ll see you when you get there.”

Chapter Eight

Timur hunted through the airport for Ember. He kept pushing the errant hairs off his forehead as he searched the crowd for her. People hurriedly stepped out of his way, clearing a path as he passed the different food vendors and embarkation areas. She was somewhere in the vicinity, he could feel it deep down in the soul he thought he’d lost. He wasn’t about to question the fact that he knew she was there. It was a scope of thinking he wasn’t prepared to tackle, but he would find her and he would do so tonight. He glanced at a gate sign. The red rolling scroll advised that the Boston flight would leave LaGuardia Airport in a few hours, confirming he was in the right place. The next flights were scheduled for much later or had already left.

He stopped and the crowd flowed around him. Some guy scowled at him and he cocked a brow. The little shit dropped his head and scurried away. Timur rumbled in his throat and a couple of other people looked up at him, giving him a wide berth as they hurried by.

Ember was still an enigma to him. He couldn’t understand how she could up and leave, and his head hurt trying to figure her out. He rubbed his temple and sighed, glancing around. He felt a tug, as if someone was physically pulling him toward the bathrooms. Timur stood in the passage, staring at the ladies room. She was in there. He knew it with as much certainty as he knew he would become a living statue at sunrise.

Placing a broad palm on the swinging door he pushed it open and stepped into the ladies room. The strong antiseptic smell of bleach mixing with the cloying air freshener was more reminiscent of a hospital than an airport. A quick
click
and
shush,
scented particles rained down on him. The poor imitation of what a rose smelled like. One of the stall doors creaked as it swung in.

Ember walked out mumbling to herself as she pulled the strap of their duffle bag over her head. She stopped right in front of him and turned her head to meet his gaze. A smirk was on her lips as she moved to the sink and squeezed a dollop of foam into her hand from the soap dispenser. He listened to the water pour from the faucet and she raised her head to meet his stare through the mirror.

“I thought for sure I had a little time. How you find me so fast?” She shook her hands and walked by him to the air vents that would dry them.

“So, you were trying to get away from me?” He cocked his head.

“Not really. I mean, I figured you’d find me, and about an hour ago I got this tingle in the pit of my stomach and I knew you were coming.” Ember pulled her hands away and angled her body to face him. “I know I said this before, but you look damn good in a suit.”

He turned and crowded her up against the sink. “What are you up to? And do not change the subject.”

She leaned back on her hands. “Don’t you find it interesting that we can find each other so easily? I mean, this morning I had no problem pinpointing your location. You owe me a gun, by the way. So I wanted to see if you could find me if I put a little distance between us.”

“You’re experimenting?” He narrowed his eyes.

She put her fists on her hips. “Good gracious, you make it sound like I was trying to sell our firstborn.”

“So in your world we have children?” He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.

A red flush crawled up her neck. “That came out wrong.”

“Uh-huh, I bet it did.” He inched closer and dipped his head to nuzzle her neck. “How about we work on that?”

“Dude, we are in a public bathroom. A
woman’s
bathroom, and you are a
man
.” She wedged her hands between their bodies.

“Then we better make it quick.”

“Is this all you think about?”

“With you? Yeah, most of the time.” He pressed his mouth to hers.

She pulled away. “Wait, the door!”

He wrapped his arms around her and swung her around. They hit the door with a
thud
and he hiked her up higher. “Problem solved.”

She cupped his face in her hands. “You are such a freak.”

“
Amant,
you have no idea. But I’m about to show you.” He skimmed his hands down her sides and reached between them to unbutton her jeans.

Her elbows dug into his shoulders as she held herself aloft. Soft cloth slid over his hand as he pushed her pants down off her ass. Reluctantly he pulled away, grabbing her waistband to yank them farther down. “Drop your legs, baby. I swear, maybe you should invest in skirts.” He jerked her jeans down her legs and snatched them off one foot.

She gripped one of his shoulders for balance and wrapped his silk tie around her fist, tugging it up. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Right now?” He trailed his hands up her body as he rose.

“Yeah, what are you planning to do at this very minute?” She swallowed.

He looked down at her and traced her lips with his index finger. Touching his forehead to hers, he stared into her chocolate eyes and saw her desire swirling in their depths. “Fuck you like I own you.” He stepped back and hauled her forward to press a kiss to her mouth, dipping his tongue between her lips. Timur groaned and the familiar hint of sweetness erupted over his taste buds. He broke the kiss, grabbed her hips, and spun her around to face the door.

Shoving her forward, he pinned her with his body. She panted. “You want me. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

His hands transformed and his talons severed the button of his pants, sending it flying through the room to land with a
ping
. He buried his face in her hair, breathing her vanilla scent deep into his lungs. His beast stopped pacing, returning to the deeper recesses of his soul, and his hands returned to normal. He lowered his zipper and pushed his slacks over his hips. Cold air enfolded his erection and he gripped her ass cheeks. Timur eased forward, sliding his dick between her thighs. He pulled her hands from beneath her and stretched her arms out, locking his fingers between hers.

He pressed his body flush to hers, his cock slid over her labia and he dipped his head to kiss the spot where her neck met her shoulder. She mewled and bumped her hips back against his pelvis. His incisors lengthened and the urge to make her his felt like a miniature cheer squad had taken up residence and were chanting in his head. He released her hand and jammed his between them. Grabbing the base of his cock he guided it through her slick heat and drove himself into her moist channel. He removed his hand and plastered his front to her back. She pushed against his body. He held her in place.

“Will you submit to me?” the dual tone of his voice surprised him. His animal was closer to the surface than he thought.

“Do you deserve me?” She turned her head to look over her shoulder.

“More than any other.”

The muscles in her passage rippled along his dick. He bit the inside of his cheek and the metallic taste of blood flowed over his tongue. He jerked his hips, stopping when his beast lifted his head. The words sprang into his mind so quickly he feared he couldn’t get them out fast enough.

His voice dropped an octave. “I am your guardian, your lover, the man that will never forsake you and the beast that will kill for you. My life is yours, as your life is mine. Nothing of this world or the next can come between us and death will be the reward to those that try. I claim you, Ember Tituba.”

He flexed, pulling his shaft from her pussy, only to drive his dick deeper into her passage as he bit down on her shoulder.

She arched against him and he continued his frenzied thrusts. He released the bite and swiped his tongue across her wound. Her vagina tightened around his dick and electricity crackled in the air around them. Prickles rose along his skin where they touched, and tiny wisps of hair that framed her face lifted straight up. She whimpered. He continued to plunge into her, shoving her against the door and lifting her off her toes. His pants dropped to his ankles and bright sparks snapped, popping like firecrackers in the air surrounding them. He pulled her torso to him and encased her with his arms.

A surge of power rushed through him. She dropped her head back against his chest and her murmurs became wails of pleasure. Ember hollered out, shuddering in his arms, and her cream flowed, coating his member. The force building at the base of his spine rushed through him. Light bulbs flashed and exploded, throwing them into darkness. Red emergency lights flared on above them.

Someone pushed on the door, driving them back. He shoved at it to keep anyone from coming in.

“Is everything okay in there? This is airport security, some people reported a disturbance,” the muffled voice called out.

Timur cleared his throat. “We’re fine.” His voice was still guttural. He edged back to allow her to move from under him. “My wife was experiencing some technical difficulties with her clothing. I was…offering my assistance.” He bent and pulled his slacks up and adjusted his shirt and tie.

“Could you come out of the ladies room,” the person on the other side of the door stated.

Timur looked at Ember. “This is why we don’t fly commercial.”

Her eyes widened and she pressed her lips together as she tucked her shirt into her jeans. The corners of her mouth inched up.

“It’s not funny, Ember,” he groused.

She closed the gap between them, wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked up at him. “But oh so worth it. Come on my big bad gargoyle, I think I’ll enjoy watching you talk us out of this one.”

* * * *

Ember sank into the soft leather of the seat and peeked at Timur from beneath her lashes. He had purchased a paper and was reading the business section. After discovering that particular sector of the airport had experienced some sort of electrical surge, and once the airport police figured out she wasn’t being attacked, they realized they had much bigger issues to resolve. She snorted. Of course it was hours later and by then Timur was in a foul mood. Any flights that hadn’t been cancelled had already lifted off.

Honestly, the guards seemed to take pleasure in detaining them. That is, until Timur asked to make a phone call in that haughty French accent that sometimes came out. Within minutes the cop in charge got a call of his own and they were free to go. He even escorted them to the area that handled private flights. The electricity seemed to be fine on that side of the structure. Timur looped an arm around her shoulder, gave a clipped nod to the officer, and walked them to the flight desk. She watched as he handed the desk agent a credit card and booked a private flight to Boston. It dawned on her, Timur wasn’t just well off, he was fucking rich, which opened a Pandora’s Box of questions in her mind.

What the hell would someone like him want with her? She was a cop who’d been raised by her grandmother. If she hadn’t been attacked, hell, she wouldn’t even know he existed. She had family in the states but she never bothered to find them. After her nana died she didn’t see a reason. If the old woman had moved them far away from their kin she must have had a motive and it didn’t seem wise to question it. Instead she moved on with her life, and some of her closer friends became the family she lacked.

“You look deep in thought
amant
, care to share?” he lowered the paper and stared at her.

“Just thinking. How long before we arrive in Boston?”

“Less than an hour. We’ll get you settled and then I’ll take care of a few things.”

“No. Where you go, I’ll go.”

Timur sighed. “That’s not smart,
amant
. I promise I’ll be close.”

The flight attendant walked by offering refreshments and lingered in front of Timur. Her blouse appeared to have lost a few buttons and her cleavage seemed to put a strain on the rest of them. He shook his head to decline her offer. Ember narrowed her eyes as she watched the persistent woman slip a napkin to him. He dropped the paper on the table and resumed reading.

Ember rose and stretched, palming the note as she passed the stand. Heading in the direction she’d watched the bitch go, she walked down the aisle and opened the bathroom door to block Timurs view. The attendant looked up from her seat, surprised, her mouth forming a small O when Ember entered the personnel-only area.